When I was 16, my parents took me to the store to buy my first "real" guitar.

I had one that a friend gave me, but it was of the homemade, Frankenstein variety. I picked a shiny red humbucker equipped beauty (of the $200 dollar variety and I had to pay for half of it! It was likely all the money I had saved).

Here is a stock picture of what the beauty looked like. Unfortunately, mine had been thrown too many times (sometimes just for stage effect), so it is no longer available to photograph.

That guitar had so much possibility built into it. I could hear the rocking chords on the way home from buying it that would pour out of it once I plugged it into my 10 inch beast of a Sears amp once I got home.

I got home and, once I got to my room alone, put it in my lap to play (I hadn't stood up w a strap to play at that point)...

Rocking chords? Enchanting melodies? Nope. Instead I realized that it was shaped too funny to sit in my lap. The other guitar sat neatly in place - this guitar kept sliding out of my lap when I tried to hold it.

In a bout of frustration, I did the unthinkable- I slammed that sucker on the floor. I had intended to break it I was so mad. Fortunately for me, $200 guitars are a little tougher than that.

I cried. I left the room. I came back. And then I did what I bet is the same thing that you have done at some point in your life.

I picked the damn thing back up and tried again.

And a million times since then, I have proverbially thrown my musical guitar across the room. Cried. Left. Came back. Wash, rinse, repeat. But I've never abandoned my dream to write and/or perform music.

If you're not that passionate about these hobbies for which you read blog posts to gather new inspiration, I am willing to bet that hobby just ain't that important to you. If, on the other hand, you are reading this during your break away from that '@$!)& thing that I just can't seem to do right!!' – it's okay. Don't give up.

P.S. - Unfortunately, while $200 guitars are tough, they can only be dropped so many times. It had a good tenure as my primary axe for about 12 years. I've since learned to throw cheaper things. :)

Merry Christmas! With my wingman down this year with the flu, I was flying solo on cookie making. These are batches I made with my gift from last year, a (gorgeous) blue Kitchen Aid mixer: raspberry almond shortbread, thin mints, peppermint meringues and some particularly challenging pinwheel sugar cookies.

When you’re roaming the house with a fussy baby in your arms, you start to notice patterns previously overlooked. #putabirdonit

Another Hill Country visit in the books

Wait for the unplanned end. 😂

Ah, memories ☺️

These weirdos keep me young.

Tomorrow is Decades Day and Nico has been decked out by his (very) excited mom. #ihadfun

At least sick boy has a kitty buddy (she's never this nice)

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